Magnetization in quasiperiodic magnetic multilayers with biquadratic exchange coupling

A theoretical study of the magnetization curves of quasiperiodic magnetic multilayers is presented. We consider structures composed by ferromagnetic films (Fe) with interfilm exchange coupling provided by intervening nonferromagnetic layers (Cr). The theory is based on a realistic phenomenological model, which includes the following contributions to the free magnetic energy: Zeeman, cubic anisotropy, bilinear and biquadratic exchange energies. The experimental parameters used here are based on experimental data recently reported, which contain sufficiently strong biquadratic exchange coupling.Comment: 6 EPS figures, REVTeX, accepted for publication in Journal of Applied Physic

Differentially expressed genes involved in lipid metabolism in the muscle tissue of Alentejano and Bísaro pig breeds

The Alentejano (AL) and Bísaro (BI) pigs stand as the predominant local breeds raised in Portugal. AL pigs are characterized by lower growth rates and precocious and higher lipid deposition, particularly of monounsaturated fatty acids, when compared to BI pigs. Lipid and fatty acids composition of meat and meat products are important features for consumers health, and gene expression is a decisive process determining fatty acid composition and deposition rates in the muscle tissue of every mammal. This study investigates the transcriptomic fundamentals associated to the phenotypical differences through a real-time qPCR approach on a set of candidate genes responsible for regulating lipid metabolism processes. Longissimus lumborum samples were collected at slaughter from five animals of each breed raised under similar conditions until ~150kg BW. Total RNA was extracted, and target cDNA was amplified to estimate expression levels when compared to endogenous control genes. Several lipogenic related genes were found to be overexpressed in the AL breed including ACLY (log2FC=0.50, p<0.05), ELOVL6 (log2FC=0.67, p<0.01), ME1 (log2FC=0.78, p<0.05), while other major lipogenic markers, such as FASN (log2FC=0.45, p=0.09) and ACACA (log2FC=0.28, p=0.17) did not attain statistical significancy, but indicate a tendency towards AL. The gene coding for the central appetite regulation hormone (LEP) was detected as significantly overexpressed in AL (log2FC=1.60, p<0.05), which may suggest the occurrence of leptin resistance in this breed, comparable to what happens with the genetically similar Iberian pig, failing to decrease feeding and increase stored energy expenditure. Similarly, adiponectin resistance is predicted to have developed in AL pigs since higher ADIPOQ levels (log2FC=0.90, p<0.01) are associated with leaner animals due to the activation of fatty acid oxidation pathways by this regulator. These results agree with the previously described high intramuscular fat content profile of the AL breed, essential in enhancing the overall sensory quality of its meat and meat products

Portuguese Local pig breeds: genotype effects on meat and fat quality traits

This work investigated the contribution of cross‐breeding between two local Portuguese pig breeds to the conservation of animal biodiversity and income of local pig producers. Quality traits of semimembranosus (SM), gluteus medius (GM) and dorsal subcutaneous fat (DSF) were studied in Alentejano (AL), Bísaro (BI), AL × BI, and BI × AL (Ribatejano—RI) castrated male pigs. Pigs were reared outdoors, fed ad libitum, and slaughtered at ~65 (trial 1) and 150 kg BW (trial 2). In trial 1, AL pigs showed higher SM intramuscular fat, lower total collagen, and higher soluble collagen than BI pigs, while AL × BI and BI × AL pigs showed intermediate (NS) values. AL, AL × BI, and BI × AL pigs showed higher SM myoglobin content, and AL a more intense red colour than BI pigs. Finally, AL, AL × BI, and BI × AL showed higher total lipids in DSF than BI pigs. In trial 2, SM and DSF results were similar to those obtained in trial 1. In GM, AL and BI × AL showed higher intramuscular fat than BI and AL × BI pigs, while AL, AL × BI and BI × AL showed lower total collagen content than BI pigs. In conclusion, these results suggest that RI crosses are a productive alternative, with overall muscle and DSF traits statistically not different between AL × BI and BI × AL, and similar to those observed in AL pigs

Growth, blood, carcass and meat quality traits from local pig breeds and their crosses

Contrary to intensive pig production, local pig breeds and their production systems are able to respond to the high criteria and expectations of modern society in regard to some environmental aspects, animal welfare, food quality and healthiness. This study proposes the recovery, study and use of a cross between two local breeds, contributing to animal biodiversity conservation and to the income of local pig producers. This work studied the growth performance and blood, carcass and meat quality traits of Alentejano (AL), Bísaro (BI) and Ribatejano (RI) (AL × BI, BI × AL) castrated male pigs. Raised outdoors, pigs were fed commercial diets ad libitum and killed at ~65 kg (trial 1, n = 10 from each genotype) and ~150 kg BW (trial 2, n = 9 from each genotype). In trial 1, AL and AL × BI attained slaughter weight later than BI and BI × AL pigs, with AL presenting lower average daily gains than the other genotypes ( P < 0.001). Alentejano and RI pigs presented higher ( P < 0.01) levels of plasma total protein than BI. Overall, carcass traits were affected by genotype, with length ( P < 0.01), yield ( P = 0.07) and lean cut proportions ( P < 0.01) lower in AL than BI, and intermediate values for crossed pigs. Conversely, AL pigs presented higher fat cut proportion ( P < 0.01), average backfat thickness ( P < 0.001) and ‘zwei punkte’ fat depth ( P < 0.01) than BI and RI pigs. Alentejano pigs also presented higher Longissimus lumborum (LL) intramuscular fat ( P < 0.05), myoglobin content and ultimate pH ( P < 0.01), but lower total collagen ( P < 0.05), drip ( P < 0.001) and cooking losses ( P < 0.01), and shear force ( P < 0.001) than all other genotypes. Finally, LL showed a more intense red colour in AL than in BI pigs. In trial 2, AL pigs confirmed to be a slow-growing obese breed with lower bone and lean cut proportions than BI, and higher LL intramuscular fat, richer colour, lower water loss and higher tenderness. In both trials, RI pigs grew faster, with higher lean and lower fat cut proportions and backfat thickness, and with overall LL characteristics comparable to those observed in AL pigs. This work demonstrates some clear differences between AL and BI breeds while showing that their crosses present intermediate characteristics in most studied traits. These data on RI pigs can be useful to breeders’ associations and farmers in order to consider the use of these crosses as an option or complement to pure line breeding

The Ribatejano pig: Rebirth of a local population? First results on growth, and carcass parameters

In order to assess the productive performance of the Ribatejano (RI) pig, resulting from a cross between Alentejano (AL) and Bísaro (BI) breeds, castrated male pigs AL, BI, ALxBI and BIxAL were studied within the framework of the TREASURE project. Ten pigs from each genotype, raised in traditional free-range system and fed commercial diets ad libitum, were slaughtered at ~65 kg live weight (LW). Data obtained show that BI, ALxBI and BIxAL attained slaughter weight faster (P<0.001) than AL pigs. Overall, carcass length (P<0.001), carcass yield (P=0.06), and lean cuts weight (P<0.01) were higher in BI than AL pigs, with intermediate values for both crosses. Conversely, fat cuts weight, ZP fat depth (P<0.01) and average backfat thickness (P<0.001) were higher in AL than in BI, and ALxBI and BIxAL pigs. At 65kg LW, RI crosses presented intermediate characteristics between fatter (AL) and leaner (BI) genotypes. This cross could therefore be an alternative to the use of other (modern) breeds for crossing, helping to increase the revenue of autochthonous pig producers, and also maintain or increase the pure breed populations, contributing to animal biodiversity

(G,ϕ) -crossed product on (G,ϕ)-quasiassociative algebras

The notions of (G,ϕ)-crossed product and quasicrossed system are introduced in the setting of (G,ϕ)-quasiassociative algebras, i.e., algebras endowed with a grading by a group G, satisfying a ``quasiassociative'' law. It is presented two equivalence relations, one for quasicrossed systems and another for (G,ϕ)-crossed products. Also the notion of graded-bimodule in order to study simple (G,ϕ)-crossed products is studied

Comparative RNAseq analysis of backfat tissue from local pig breeds.

Alentejano (AL) and Bísaro (BI) are the main local pig breeds in Portugal, but have no information comparing their transcriptomic activity. AL belongs to the Iberian branch, presenting lower growth rates, precociously high adipogenic activity and higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) while BI pig is from the Celtic group, sharing ancestors with higher growth rate and leaner commercial breeds. This work intended to explore the genome function of AL and BI to better understand the underlying physiological mechanisms associated with body fat accretion, lipid composition and meat quality. Dorsal subcutaneous fat (DSF) samples were collected from AL and BI fattening pigs, with ~150kg BW at slaughter. Total RNA was obtained and sequenced for transcriptome analysis. Bioinformatic analyses using three different tools (Cufflinks, EdgeR and DESeq2) were performed. A total of 367, 137 and 155 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (q-value0.8) were found using the Cufflinks, EdgeR and DESeq2 pipelines, respectively, between AL and BI DSF samples. EdgeR and DESeq2 shared a total 121 DEGs (~71% overlap) while Cufflinks showed divergent results (2.7% overlap with EdgeR and 5.5% with DESeq2). A functional enrichment analysis of the candidate DEGs was performed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Synthesis of lipid, depletion of glycogen, mass of organism and accumulation of oleic acid were revealed as main involved functions (p-value<0.05) though no directional activation state was observed (-2<Zscore<2). Potential upstream regulators that explain the obtained results such as TCF7L2 and RIPK2 were predicted to be activated and inhibited in AL, respectively. Moreover, 4 causal networks with RIT2, KL, FLCN and RIPK2 as master regulators were inhibited in AL while another with PPARGC1B was activated. These results present the first high-throughput transcriptomic data involving these local breeds and can help explain the metabolic differences that occur in the adipose tissue and shed light into specific meat quality traits

Transcriptomic profiling of skeletal muscle reveals candidate genes influencing muscle growth and associated lipid composition in Portuguese local pig breeds

Gene expression is one of the main factors to influence meat quality by modulating fatty acid metabolism, composition, and deposition rates in muscle tissue. This study aimed to explore the transcriptomics of the Longissimus lumborum muscle in two local pig breeds with distinct genetic background using next-generation sequencing technology and Real-Time qPCR. RNA-seq yielded 49 differentially expressed genes between breeds, 34 overexpressed in the Alentejano (AL) and 15 in the Bísaro (BI) breed. Specific slow type myosin heavy chain components were associated with AL (MYH7) and BI (MYH3) pigs, while an overexpression of MAP3K14 in AL may be associated with their lower loin proportion, induced insulin resistance, and increased inflammatory response via NFkB activation. Overexpression of RUFY1 in AL pigs may explain the higher intramuscular (IMF) content via higher GLUT4 recruitment and consequently higher glucose uptake that can be stored as fat. Several candidate genes for lipid metabolism, excluded in the RNA-seq analysis due to low counts, such as ACLY, ADIPOQ, ELOVL6, LEP and ME1 were identified by qPCR as main gene factors defining the processes that influence meat composition and quality. These results agree with the fatter profile of the AL pig breed and adiponectin resistance can be postulated as responsible for the overexpression of MAP3K140s coding product NIK, failing to restore insulin sensitivity

Strings on pp-waves and Hadrons in (softly broken) N=1 gauge theories

We study the Penrose limit of Type IIB duals of softly broken N=1 SU(N) gauge theories in four dimensions, obtained as deformations of the Maldacena-Nunez and Klebanov-Strassler backgrounds. We extract the string spectrum on the resulting pp-wave backgrounds and discuss some properties of the conjectured dual gauge theory hadrons, the so called "Annulons". The string zero-point energy on the light-cone is nontrivial, due to the loss of linearly realized worldsheet supersymmetry, and negative, even in the unbroken supersymmetric case. This causes the appearance of non-perturbative corrections to the hadronic mass spectrum. We briefly discuss the thermodynamic behavior of these string models, calculating the corresponding Hagedorn temperatures.Comment: 20 page

Composição da carcaça e caracterização físico-química de músculo de porco Alentejano acabado em montanheira – resultados preliminares

O porco Alentejano é uma raça suína autóctone do sul de Portugal, tradicionalmente acabada em regime de montanheira. Durante o período de engorda, que ocorre nos meses de outono e inverno, os animais são alimentados com os recursos naturais do Montado, como bolota/lande e pastagem, sendo abatidos com cerca de 120-150 Kg de peso vivo e com 18-24 meses de idade (Freitas et al., 2007). O porco Alentejano é caracterizado por apresentar baixas taxas de crescimento e elevada atividade lipogénica nas fases iniciais de desenvolvimento (Neves et al., 2012). Como consequência da composição em ácidos gordos dos recursos alimentares disponíveis, a gordura intramuscular dos porcos acabados em Montanheira apresentam elevada quantidade de ácido oleico (18:1 cis-9) (Lopez-Bote, 1998). Dadas estas particularidades, a carne e a gordura destes animais são utilizadas para o fabrico de diversos produtos de alta qualidade, existindo neste momento uma elevada gama de produtos com Denominação de Origem Protegida (DOP) ou Indicação Geográfica Protegida (IGP) com origem no Porco Alentejano. Apesar do impacto económico e na qualidade do produto final, a composição da carcaça e as propriedades físico-químicas da carne dos porcos Alentejanos utilizados para o fabrico destes produtos ainda estão pouco caracterizadas. Assim, neste trabalho procedeu-se à avaliação da composição da carcaça e à caracterização físico-química do músculo Longissimus lumborum de porco Alentejano acabado em regime de montanheira. Este trabalho faz parte de um conjunto alargado de estudos que compõem o projeto “SeletcPorAl - Seleção e melhoramento genómico de características produtivas do porco Alentejano”, que visa a identificação e validação de marcadores moleculares associados a características fenotípicas de interesse económico para o Porco Alentejano, como a composição da carcaça e a qualidade da carn